


To bare one pain we all will share

by stjarna



Series: Season 4 - Coda Challenge [4]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Anger, Bus Kids - Freeform, Coda, Coda Challenge @The FitzSimmons Network, F/M, Fight and Make-Up, Fitzsimmons lovenest mention, Gen, Post-Episode: s04e04 Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire, Tumblr: thefitzsimmonsnetwork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2016-10-23
Packaged: 2018-08-24 04:29:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8357233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stjarna/pseuds/stjarna
Summary: Months of unspoken anger boil to the surface when Daisy, Simmons, and Fitz (aka THE BUS KIDS!!!!) return to the Playground post 4x04. Who will prevail? I'mDoingWhatINeedToDo!Daisy? She'sTurnedHerBackOnUs!Fitz? Or I'mTheBoss!Simmons?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the wonderful dilkirani for the beta!

For your every tear, know that I'll always be here.  
To bare one pain we both will share, know I'll never disappear. 

– Anthony Liccione

* * *

Jemma feels like time must have stood still while she went to the storage room to grab some medical supplies. Daisy is still sitting on the examination table, dangling her feet, staring at the floor, her bruised and shattered left arm resting on her thigh. Fitz is still leaning against a work bench, his arms crossed in front of his chest, his head slightly tilted, glaring at Daisy. The tension is almost tangible.

Her day had been rough enough without the two people she cared about the most giving each other the silent treatment. And she didn’t even want to  _ think _ about her upcoming lie detector test, although she and Fitz had come up with a tentative plan to beat it on their way back to the Playground.

Jemma sighs before entering the room. Quietly, she puts down her supplies on the tray table and takes a look at Daisy’s medical scans on her computer.

She exhales sharply, looking over at Daisy, who shyly lifts her head. Her eyes remind Jemma of a beaten dog. “Well, you  _ certainly _ made a big mess here,” Jemma says, looking back at her screen.

“Yeah, I know,” Daisy mumbles. “Just… do something, okay?”

Jemma turns back to Daisy. “Well,  _ of course _ we’re going to do something, dummy.” She looks back at the screen, wrinkling her forehead. “Maybe something like a gauntlet,” she contemplates. “Fitz, could you…” She turns to face him, but stops when she hears him mutter something under his breath.

“You’ve got quite the nerve.” His words are barely audible, his eyes fixed on the floor.

Daisy’s head shoots up, glaring at Fitz. “You got something to say, Mr. Hasn’t-Even-Looked-At-Me-Since-I’ve-Set-Foot-On-The-Base?”

Fitz raises his head, meeting her stare. His eyes are dark and angry, like Daisy’s. Jemma feels a knot in her stomach, watching the scene unfold.

“I said, ‘You’ve got quite the nerve,’” he repeats slowly. He gestures with one hand at Daisy, keeping the other across his chest. “You run away from us for  _ months _ . Won’t accept our help. You overuse your powers until your arm is shattered to pieces.” He points at Jemma with his other hand. “Then you practically lead Jemma into a trap, so she can remove a bloody  _ bullet _ from your shoulder. Force her to become part of your little vendetta. Almost get  _ both _ of you killed. And now you  _ demand _ that she fix the bloody mess you’ve made?  _ Of course _ she’s gonna help you!  _ We’re _ gonna help you! Because that’s what you do for people you  _ care about _ . Maybe your  _ selfish _ arse could at the  _ very least _ show a  _ little bit _ of  **_gratitude_ ** . I mean,  **_where do you come off?_ ** ” he yells, throwing both arms in the air.

“Are you done?” Daisy hisses through her teeth, and an uncomfortable shiver runs through Jemma’s spine knowing Fitz’s answer.

“No, I’m not  _ done _ ,” Fitz replies, his voice still raised. “Look, I know losing Lincoln broke you. But what  _ you _ don’t seem to understand is that you’re  _ not _ the only one who has lost someone. You’re  _ not _ the only one who knows that kind of pain. We  _ all _ know what it feels like.  _ You know _ what I did when I thought I lost Jemma. And I  _ know _ I was lucky because she  _ wasn’t  _ dead, but for six months,  _ I _ felt the same pain  _ you _ feel. And I  _ still _ know that pain. Jemma being back doesn’t make that pain  _ any _ less real! And you don’t have to go through this alone. We used to be a  _ team _ ! We used to be there for each other.”

Jemma crosses her arms in front of her chest, looking down at the floor. It pains her to hear them fight.

“ _ You’re _ telling me that I don’t have to do this alone?” Daisy interrupts him angrily. “Well aren’t we the hypocrite! You’re right; I  _ remember _ what you did when Jemma was gone.  _ You _ went on a solo mission,  _ too _ .  _ Without _ Coulson’s permission.  _ You _ did what you had to do! Your own safety be  _ damned _ . Where was your team spirit  _ then _ ?  _ Huh? _ Our missions aren’t that different, Fitz!”

“I was on a  _ rescue _ mission,” Fitz counters, “not some kind of  _ vengeance _ trip!”

“You were on a  **_suicide_ ** mission,” Daisy yells, “just like me!”

Her words make Jemma shiver.

“ _ Fine _ ,” Fitz concurs furiously. “And you know who else was?  _ Lincoln! _ He was willing to die to save the woman he loved. Do you think he did it so you could  _ kill _ yourself?”

“He died so  _ I _ could continue what he started,” Daisy replies. “Save the inhumans. And at least  _ he _ and I were willing to die for the  _ greater good _ instead of just to save  _ one _ person.”

“ **_He_ ** died to save one person,” Fitz screams. “ _ Don’t you  _ **_get_ ** _ that? _ Saving the world was just a  _ bonus _ for him. Believe me,  _ I know! _ ”

“ _ Don’t you dare _ pretend that you know  _ anything _ about Lincoln.  **_Don’t you dare_ ** pretend-- ”

“ **_SHUT UP!_ ** ” Jemma explodes, unable to listen to the two of them any longer.

Daisy and Fitz stare at her in shock.

“ _ Both of you! _ Just  _ shut up _ !  _ Cut it out! _ ” Jemma continues, glaring and gesturing back and forth between Fitz and Daisy. “We’re  _ all _ hurting. And we’ve  _ all _ said and done things to hurt the other. But how about we be  _ adults _ about it instead of sulking in self-pity.  _ None _ of us is perfect. We  _ all _ need to forgive each other just as much as we need to ask for forgiveness.”

She takes a deep breath. “I miss  _ us _ !”

“I  _ know _ you’re still on a warpath because you feel guilty about what Lincoln did for you and you want to make those who hunt down Inhumans pay,” she says to Daisy, and turning to Fitz, she adds, “And I  _ know _ you’re still mad at her for turning her back on us and not accepting our help.”

She looks from one to the other. “And I get it!  _ Both _ of you! Because, Daisy, no matter what you and James said, I  _ do _ know what it’s like to lose  _ everything _ ; what it’s like to  _ change _ .”

She pauses. “I lost everything when the monolith took me, Daisy.  _ Everything _ . Including  _ you _ ! And you  _ know _ it changed me! And if you think having  _ Fitz _ risk his life for me  _ over and over again _ isn’t enough to make me understand the pain you feel when someone sacrifices himself for you, well how about  _ Will _ ?”

Jemma glances over at Fitz, who had immediately lowered his gaze to the floor at Will’s mention. She knows it pains him to be reminded of Will, but she has no choice but to bring it up.

“Will sacrificed his life for me. So,  **_yes_ ** ,  _ I  _ know that pain _ ,  _ Daisy! … And Fitz…” Jemma looks back at him, waiting for him to raise his head, “Daisy turned her back on  _ me _ too. And it  _ hurt _ . But if  _ I _ can forgive  _ you _ for  _ lying _ to me after Daisy went through terrigenesis, for  _ falsifying _ scientific results, and  _ you _ can forgive  _ me _ for leaving after your accident, then  _ we _ need to forgive  _ her _ too! Because we  _ all _ had our reasons for doing what we did. And they  _ were _ good reasons to  _ each _ of us, even if the others didn’t understand that at the time!”

She pauses. “I _miss_ us! And maybe this is _all_ temporary, and as soon as we’ve secured the Darkhold and rid the world of these _ghosts_ , you’ll take off again and leave us,” she says, looking at Daisy. “But _right now_ , we’re _all_ _here_ , _finally_ back together. And _for once_ , no matter how short-lived it might be, I want things to be _normal_ again, even if we have to pretend a little. Because we all _need_ that. We _all_ need that _right now_.”

She looks at both of them. “So both of you,  _ suck it up _ , and  _ make up _ , and  _ forgive _ each other… because once we’re done here, the three of us will go to our quarters and pick out furniture for Fitz’s and my new place, because  _ that’s _ what best friends do.”

“ _ That’s an order _ ,” she adds angrily, when Daisy and Fitz stare at her in silence.

“I’m not exactly S.H.I.E.L.D. right now,” Daisy mumbles quietly, avoiding her eyes, like a teenager having been grounded by her parents. “You can’t give me orders.”

“Yeah,” Fitz mutters, crossing his arms in front of his chest again, his tone pouty. “Plus, may I remind you that we agreed you won’t abuse your higher clearance level to settle personal matters.”

“Well, I  _ won’t _ take No for an answer,” Jemma says sternly. Pointing at both of them, she adds, “I’ll drag you in front of the IKEA website myself if I have to!”

Both Fitz and Daisy let out a brief chuckle, making Jemma smile involuntarily.

“Wait,” Fitz interjects suddenly, confused. “What new place?”

“The one I looked at this morning,” Jemma clarifies. “Where Daisy was waiting for me.” She pauses. “ _ Apparently _ it’s ours and … rent controlled.”

“Still have to give you the keys,” Daisy mumbles quietly.

“Wait.  _ What? _ ” Fitz asks, surprised.

“Consider it a housewarming gift,” Daisy says, looking at Fitz.

“A housewarm…,” Fitz mutters, confused. “A housewarming gift is a  _ vase _ , or a  _ picture frame _ or something… not the bloody house  _ itself _ .”

“It’s an  _ apartment _ ,” Daisy counters, “not a house.”

“You’re not  _ serious _ , are you?” Fitz asks in disbelief.

Daisy shrugs her shoulders. “I love you guys, okay? And I  _ know _ I screwed up. But I want you to be happy. You  _ deserve _ that!”

“So do  _ you _ ,” Fitz exclaims, gesturing at Daisy.

She doesn’t reply, but her eyes have a watery shimmer about them.

Jemma looks at Fitz and recognizes his expression; the one that is soft and kind and forgiving.

“Daisy,” Fitz continues calmly, taking a few steps towards the examination table where Daisy sits, “I know we can’t replace Lincoln.  _ No one _ can. And we can’t take that pain away. But, we’re  _ here _ , we  _ want _ to be here… for  _ you _ . We love you. You’re our friend. Just…” He pauses for a moment. “Come home. Stop running. Let us  _ help _ you.”

He looks into her eyes. “Jemma is right. We need to forgive and ask for forgiveness… And I’m  _ sorry _ , Daisy. I’m sorry for hurting you. For maybe saying the wrong things. I just wish you would let us be a part of it, let us  _ share _ your pain, let us get through this together. As a team, as friends, as… a  _ family _ .”

Her lips tremble when she replies. “I’m just… I’m too afraid of losing you too. I don’t want to get more attached to you guys. And I don’t want  _ you _ to get attached to  _ me _ . ‘Cause wherever I go, death follows.”

“Well, too damn bad,” Fitz responds, shrugging his shoulders. “It’s too late for that, Daisy. For  _ all _ of us. We  _ are _ attached. We’re  _ connected _ . Every man for himself is not going to work. And if death is following you, then  _ so be it _ ! I don’t care. I’ll stand by your side when it shows up.”

Jemma notices a tear rolling down Daisy’s cheek. She wants to rush closer and wipe it away, but it is their moment, their time to heal.

“Look, Daisy,” Fitz continues, his voice tender and gentle, “if we can’t live together, we’re gonna die alone. And I don’t want that for any of us.”

Daisy raises her head and looks at Fitz, surprised. “Dude, you did  _ not _ just quote LOST at me, did you?”

Fitz grins at her. “Your fault for making me binge-watch it.”

Daisy chuckles, her face somewhere between laughing and crying.

Then she shakes her head, taking a deep breath and looking at Jemma. “I know you’re mainly interested in picking out furniture today, Jem, but … you  _ definitely _ need to get Netflix if you expect me to visit you at your little lovenest.”

Jemma can’t stop herself from smiling from ear to ear. “I’m  _ sure _ that can be arranged.”

Fitz sighs. “Alright,” he says, tucking his hands in his pockets, “how ‘bout we get started on that gauntlet idea Jemma mentioned earlier, and  _ then _ we can talk about this new apartment… of which I have  _ yet _ to see pictures.”

“Oh, you’ll love it Fitz,” Jemma exclaims excitedly, before adding, “Well, once we’ve cleaned up Daisy’s blood that is.”


End file.
